Where Is JD Vance? Trump's VP Has Been Quiet (& We Smell Trouble In Paradise)

Since winning a second presidential term, Donald Trump has been rounding up the names of those he would like in his inner circle. However, one of the names that helped him win the election is missing: Vice President JD Vance is nowhere to be found. Vance is largely responsible for coordinating with senators to rally behind Trump's cabinet picks, which might have him working more behind the scenes. However, in a truly bizarre Thanksgiving Day post on X, formerly Twitter, Vance might have let it slip that things aren't going as well as he hoped.

The post shows Trump as a beaming and proud husband, while Vance, superimposed as the doting wife in the classic Norman Rockwell painting, presents the Electoral College map as the feast for the table. Meanwhile, in a competing X post, Elon Musk is seen having an actual Thanksgiving meal seated right next to Trump himself. Musk has embedded himself in President Trump's incoming team, becoming a regular presence at Mar-a-Lago and possibly annoying Trump by always hanging around. In fact, many of the duties Musk is taking on — co-leading the Department of Government Efficiency, for example — easily fall under the umbrella of what a vice president would typically do. This has led many to wonder if Trump is icing out JD Vance.

Having only spent two years in the Senate, JD Vance technically has less government experience than President-elect Donald Trump. In recent history, the VP pick has often boasted a longer career than the president, enabling the two could lead together as a team. Trump, however, is one of a kind and boldly refuses to follow tradition. He is also an incredibly volatile person, known for his penchant for firing employees. Even though Vance has undergone quite the political transformation in recent years, staying on the sidelines could be a strategic move on his part to remain in Trump's good graces. Especially since many people are assuming the friendship between Trump and Elon Musk will not last forever.

As Vance has scuttled behind the scenes, his approval ratings have actually risen. According to FiveThirtyEight, Vance started with an approval rating of barely 26% in July 2024. However, by December 2024, it had risen nearly 40%. If there's one thing Trump loves, it's winning, and these numbers on Vance's behalf are proving to be successful. If Vance can continue to hold on to this popularity, he can once again prove to Trump how useful he is. Vance is known as a shrewd, if not shady, strategist, so this might just be his ultimate plan. That, and waiting for Musk to finally overstay his welcome.